Draft mechanism



G. T. JOHNSON DRAFT MECHANISM May 8, 1934.

Filed April 9. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Slrvuento'o I attozmng May 8, 1934. e. T. JOHNSON DRAFT MEGHANI SM Filed April 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1934 DRAFT lvIECHANISM George T. Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Application April 9, 1927, Serial No. 182,483

1 Claim.

This invention relates particularly to the means for connecting the draft yoke to the coupler shank, the object being to provide a novel construction of yoke by which the buffing shock will be taken up and distributed so as to avoid breakage or distortion of any of the parts, and the coupler may assume an angular position without placing eccentric strains upon the draft gear and yoke. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully described and then particularly defined. in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a draft yoke and part of a coupler shank connected in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal transverse sectional view of the draft yoke;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the front end portion of the yoke taken through the swivel pin aperture.

The yoke comprises the top and bottom arms 1 and 2 connected by the rear butt end member 3, the draft gear mechanism being installed in the space between the arms as is usual. Near their front ends, the arms 1 and 2 are connected by an integral transverse wall 4, the extremities 5, 6, of the respective arms constituting lugs or brackets each having its front end edge convex in the plane of the lug or bracket, as shown at 7, and there being openings 8 formed vertically through the lugs concentric with said convex edges. An intermediate lug 9 projects forwardly from the wall 4 substantially parallel with and spaced from the lugs 5 and 6, and this intermediate lug has its front end edge 10 convex and concentric with the convex edges 7, an opening 11 being formed through the intermediate lug in alinement with the openings 8. The l5 lug 9 is slotted horizontally through its forward portion, as shown at 12, the slot intersecting the opening 11 and the rear wall of the slot, at the sides of said opening, being preferably straight, as shown at 13. A pin 14 is engaged in the open- 0 ings 8 and 11 to pivotally secure the coupler shank to the yoke, as will presently more fully appear, and it is to be noted that the spaces between the several lugs are open and clear at the sides of the yoke, although there are concave 5 bearing seats 15 formed on the front side of the wall 4 which terminate at the sides of the yoke at points in rear of the pivot pin. The pin is provided with a transverse notch 16 in its front side alined with the slot 12.

The rear end of the coupler shank is indicated at 1'7 and it terminates in spaced lugs 18 which are adapted to enter the spaces between the lugs 5, 9 and 6, and have convex rear edges 19 confronting the respective concave seats 15, the lugs being further provided with openings 20 through which the pivot pin 14 passes so that the coupler will be pivotally attached to the yoke. The shank is further formed with vertically extending shoulders 21 and 22 at the outer and inner sides,

respectively, of the lugs 18, these shoulders being concave and confronting the convex end edges of the lugs on the yoke but these shoulders do not project laterally from said lugs. The shoulders 22 are spaced from each other, as shown in Fig. l, and are flush with the walls of the slot 12 and alined slots 23 in the sides of the shank, said several slots and the notch 16 in the pivot pin receiving a transverse key 24 which extends through the draft sills in the usual manner, one of the sills being indicated at 25.

It will be understood from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings that the coupler is pivoted to the yoke in such a manner that it may swing laterally without placing eccentric strains upon the draft gear and yoke and that there is a multiple shear arrangement on the pivot pin so that the likelihood of the pin being broken in such a manner as to permit separation of the shank and the yoke is minimized. The pivot pin is inserted from below the yoke and may be locked to the yoke in any approved manner, for example, by a cotter pin which passes through holes in the lower portion of the yoke. It may be noted that the key helps to hold the pin in place and the pin must be placed in position before the key is inserted. The confronting surfaces of the pin and the lugs may be normally out of contact although close together. In the buffing action of the cars, the surfaces may contact and the force is taken from the coupler through the several surfaces '7, 10 and 15 to the wall 4 and thence directly to the draft gear.

It will be noted that the intermediate flange 9 which extends between the flanges 18 of the coupler stem has a bevel on its upper front edge, as shown at 60, and which cooperates with a correspondingly inclined portion on the coupler stem to prevent incorrect assembly of the yoke with the coupler stem.

It will also be observed that the upper end of the pin 14 is reduced in thickness as shown at 61. The restriction of the upper end of the pivot pin, allows the reinforcing rib or boss on the upper flange 6 of the yoke to become more effective, as the flange 6 is practically undiminished in strength, and is substantiallycontinuous with the upper .arm 2 of the yoke. In other words, this improvement permits a relatively thick flange 6 to be used at the top, and the restriction of the pivot pin enables the latter to be connected to the upper flange through the use of a relatively small hole.

The method of assembling the parts .I believe can be clearly understood from the above-descripserted throughthe slots in the sills and through.

the alignedslots, 23, in the sides ofthe shank and yoke; When'the. key is. in place,- it is toxbe noted that there is spacebetween the front edge of the. alignedslot, 23; and the front edge of the key,.24; wheneverything is normal: In other.

wordsaa slot is formed of greaterlength than the. key, the entire excessoflength being forward of the key. .This is doneso that in both'the pulling" or buffingdirection when the coupled swivels, the key will always stay in contact with the front "edges,;=13, of; the rear wall of the slot of l the lug, 9.. It can be seen that the yoke and transverse'key, 24, will always have a tendency to remain ;in.their normal position as far as'the centerline of the car is concerned, and the dis.-

placement due to swiveling of the coupler would always be about the pin, 14.

The transverse key, 24, is used primarily as a safety device in case the yoke or draft gear should break. The key extending through the sills would not allow the coupler to be pulled out of the end ofthe car and dropped on to the track. The key also answers as a positivesupportxfor the coupler and yoke as it passes, of course, through the slots in the sills and it also helps to support the pivot pin, 14, as stated.

Having fully described my invention what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:.

A draft 'yoke comprising parallel arms connected at their rear ends, a wall connecting the forward ends of said arms, upper, lower and intermediate spacedlugs projecting forwardly from said wall, .said spaced lugs having aligned holes to receive a pivot pin, one of said lugs being bifurcated and forming ankey slot -portion,. a

coupler shank having rear lugs extending-between the lugs or" the yoke and also provided with aligned holes to receive a pivot pin, the upper lug of the yoke being-relatively thick and forming. a

pin insertable into the holes from the bottom of the yoke and .havingarestricted upper:.-end

designed to enter the smaller portion of the hole-= of the upper lug of the yoke, and a removable fastener securing the pin to the lower portion of the yoke.

. GEORGE T. JOHNSON.- 

